


Leap & Scatter

by belivaird_st



Category: Mrs. America (2020), Mrs. America (FX Hulu), Mrs. America (Miniseries), Mrs. America - All Media Types
Genre: Black Character(s), F/F, Female Anti-Hero, Female Friendship, Feminist Themes, Husbands, Wives, Women In Power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:46:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st
Summary: The Schlaflys’ housemaid, Willie, gets severely hurt by a group of Klan supporters on her way home. A promising face saves her and brings her right over to Phyllis, herself.
Relationships: Phyllis Schlafly/Fred Schlafly, Phyllis Schlafly/Shirley Chisholm
Kudos: 6





	Leap & Scatter

“My turn,” Phyllis Schlafly drawled out, collecting all five of the playing dice in her hands that her youngest son just rolled from a plastic red cup. Andrew Schlafly yawned, busy filling down his scores on his mark sheet. He had been playing a game of Yahtzee with his mother late one night, and was losing by only a few points.

“I forfeit, Mom. You win,” he told her, laying the mini pencil flat down on his personal score sheet on the doiled coffee table. In truth, he wanted to go straight to bed. His eyes stung from the lack of sleep he was getting. His mother, however, seemed perfectly fine. She was wide awake, filled with energy.

“Our game’s not finished yet, Andy...” Phyllis rattled the dice irritably inside the cup before making them leap and scatter below. She began pairing the two sets of fives together in a tall, posed posture. 

That’s when they both heard the front door slamming wide open with a series of panic shouts coming from the hallway.

Andrew scrambled up in his pinstripe pajamas in the Schlaflys’ family room, while Phyllis looked onward, seeing a bespectacled, black woman hauling over their housekeeper, Willie, who appeared limp and injured with a split forehead oozing with blood. 

Phyllis rose up on her nylon-clad feet and rushed right over towards the two women, helping the black woman steady Willie upright. “Andrew, get the first aid kit under the bathroom sink! And bring some towels!”

The boy bolted.

“She’s been attacked,” the black woman spoke gravely. Her husky voice fell short, out of breath, like she had been running for the hills.

“Shirley Chisholm...?” Phyllis recognized her instantly.

“Yeah, the last time I checked,” she responded back, sourly. Shirley bopped her wave curled head. “Can we sit her down somewhere, please?”

“Yes, of course,” Phyllis blinked her eyes rapidly, putting her focus back on her housemaid. She was pressing one hand on Willie’s lower back to push her towards Fred’s recliner. Shirley unraveled the light skin girl’s arm off her shoulders and neck and pressed for her to sit down. 

Andrew came back with the first aid kit and some clean hand towels he took from the bathroom closet. He handed everything to his mother, who thanked him and caught sight of the fear in the boy’s eyes.

“You can go to bed now, Andy,” she told him delicately. “Willie’s in good hands.”

Shirley gave her a look without nobody noticing. Andrew Schlafly bit his bottom lip. He left to go to his bedroom, upstairs.

“Willie, can you hear me?” Phyllis took hold of her chin, peering right into her slanted, watery eyes.

“Uuhm,” the girl moaned in response. She closed her eyes once Shirley started cleaning the trickle of blood with peroxide soaked in a cornflower blue hand towel.

~~~

Willie was sitting on the backsteps outside the Schlafly home next to Shirley, who was holding a glass of water for her. The maid was cleaned up and was taken good care by the hands of both Phyllis Schlafly and Chisholm, herself. 

“Thank you for saving me. I pray I haven’t lost my job from this.” Willie sighed, feeling embarrassed.

“You become tonight’s target practice with a gang of white Klan thugs, and all you worry about is losing your work for the Schlaflys?!” Shirley demanded.

“They’re good people,” Willie spoke, defensively. “They’ve been real good to me.”

“You are nothing but a slave to them,” Shirley said, holding a finger up. “The only thing you’re missing is a collar and leash.”

Willie took the water from her. Her head was hurting too much to think of anything more to say.

~~~

Phyllis had a lot of explaining to do upstairs with her husband, Fred, who had arrived home minutes later, bewildered by the fact that Shirley Chisholm has been staying over without warning.

“What’s Shirley Chisholm doing here at my house?” he questioned. 

“Fred, there’s been an accident,” Phyllis began, taking a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. “Willie got hit by some Klan supporters while heading home. They threw rocks at her, and called her awful, racial slurs...”

“Yeah. I get that. But where does Shirley fit into all this?” Fred snapped. 

“She happened to be where they were... She saved Willie’s life, Fred,” Phyllis added.

“Did you find out her reason for being here in Alton? What is she doing here in Illinois?” he fumed.

Phyllis looked baffled. The man was not getting the point that Willie had been severely injured tonight. All he had on his mind was Chisholm, Chisholm, Chisholm. 

“Hello? Are you listening to me?” Fred went on, waving a hand in the air. His anger matched vibrantly with his wife’s. 

“Willie has been attacked tonight, and the only thing you care about is finding Shirley Chisholm in your living room,” Phyllis scoffed. “Well I’m glad she was there. I’m glad she’s here! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to say goodnight to a couple of sad, suffering, young ladies...” She skirted past him with her head held high, making him glance back around, completely off guard.


End file.
